Matthew Knies has a concussion (and his series is probably over)

Last night, the Panthers won the second game of their series against the Maple Leafs. In doing so, they now have a 2-0 lead in the series, and as if that weren’t enough, they’re off to play the next two games in front of their home fans.

We could do worse.

The Maple Leafs will have to find solutions. The team responds poorly to the Panthers’ check-forward and is unable to break through the wall named Sergei Bobrovsky in front of the Florida net.

Sheldon Keefe has just announced that young Matthew Knies, who was enjoying a good series in his NHL debut, suffered a concussion last night, will have to sit out at least the next two games and is unlikely to be back by the end of the series.

Matthew Knies diagnosed with a concussion. Out for games 3 and 4, per Keefe. “Unlikely” to return to series.

– luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 5, 2023

It’s a real shame for the youngster, who offered some good field hockey and was already one of Sheldon Keefe’s most trusted players. He was often seen on the ice late in games when Keefe pulled his goalie and the Leafs played with six skaters, a sign that he’s in his coach’s good graces.

For those who missed the sequence in which Knies was injured, it was the result of a rather ordinary gesture by Sam Bennett, who propelled him to the floor. The impact was hard, so much so that Knies retired to the dressing room afterwards and didn’t return to the game.

the overhead view of the Bennett-Knies drop looks so much worse pic.twitter.com/X7V41xHmHu

– Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 5, 2023

While many Maple Leafs fans feel that Bennett should have been called before the Disciplinary Prefect for a potential suspension, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone agrees. Former referee Tim Peel, for example, thinks it’s ridiculous that this gesture is worth a suspension, no less.

And he even argues that if the jerseys had been reversed, the gesture would never have attracted so much attention.

I wonder why officiating in the NHL is such a mess, if only there were some sort of inside view towards the mindset pic.twitter.com/8rODDbTyC5

– Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) May 5, 2023

It’s true that Sam Lafferty made a similar gesture in the match against Radko Gudas, and that this one is much less talked-about, although this is potentially due to the fact that Knies was injured and Gudas was not.

Is Lafferty’s gesture as bad as Bennett’s? I think it’s a little less so, personally, but I’ll let you be the judge.

btw… if bennett did this, every leafs fan would say it was dirty and that he should be suspended… just saying…pic.twitter.com/oDUtQUldVv

– x – franki (@frankinoblee) May 5, 2023

In any case, though, it’s a shame for young Knies, who will miss his team’s next few games with an injury that’s never easy to deal with. We wish him a speedy recovery and, if the Leafs can extend the series, a return to action before the end of his club’s season.